Are people really getting in a bus to drive by the homes of AIG executives in Connecticut? On a sunny afternoon on the second day of spring? To do -- what: yell at them from the street? Acreage laws down there mean long long driveways which means no one inside will hear a single word, so maybe they are planning on tossing some TP into well-manicured trees??
I realize this isn't exactly like drawing slutty cartoons of the head cheerleader because you "hate" her so much when in reality you actually wish you could be her, but it does sort of smack of a kind of adolescent toilet-papering. I get the awfulness of the AIG situation -- it seems so senseless and so unfair and so just.not.right. But on the other hand? Really? Protesting outside of someone's home because they may or may not have received a bonus that may or may not be justified just seems... I don't know. A waste of time? Kind of weird?
I am as pissed as anybody that so many of us find ourselves in a bad situation because of the errors or greed of a few (thousand) but I certainly don't think that camping out on some CEO's lawn is gonna do any good to anyone. Plus, hating rich people for being rich seems kind of pointless in a capitalist society or any society really, unless of course that rich person has stolen money on purpose or cheated people on purpose. If you consider bonuses based on contracts rather than merit to be stealing or cheating (rather than, as I feel, that it is just wrong and bad for business), then go right ahead and cry CRIME but really? No crime has been committed except for one against karma. And you know how karma can be. Let karma take over.
Me? I am gonna preserve my own. I am sponsoring the kids at our local video store in their walk against domestic violence (which rises as the Dow falls). I gave twice what I normally would. The school auction is next week and though the timing might be rough, me and the Kid are dressing up and heading out (thanks to the Awesome Babysitter -- please?) and bidding often and bidding high (but not that high) (I'm no fool). There are people in my community who are relying more than ever on the Small Town Food Pantry and since no one eats what I cook, I am handing over canned goods that I bought in bulk and which will be better served elsewhere.
I am doing these kinds of things because it makes more sense than getting on a bus to shout at rich people benefited by both a bonus and a bail out. Which sucks, I know, but if I resort to getting pissed off and ranty and all kinds of full of hate and jealousy, I will just be well, um, angry and that seems dull and a waste of my own sweet time especially when I could be angry about the fact that no one eats the damn food I ever make.
Truth is, there are so many injustices I can effect in little ways and windmills are better left to people with swords. And I don't like swords, especially the kinds with sound effects (damn you! Star Wars toy makers!) and I hate riding on a bus so there's that too.
But really people? Demonize Madoff if it makes you feel better, but those other dudes, the nameless ones we want to hate: WASTE OF TIME. It's the land of the frickin' free and everyone is free to be a gigantic asshole and everyone is free not to be. So don't be. And move on.
Instead, go do something good for someone else. The dividends are guaranteed.
17commentsBrilliant Person Wrote...
Well-said, Ms. P. Rock on.
Excellent advice. There is definitely more that can be accomplished on my individual home front, then would be accomplished yelling at someone else's home front.
(And I hate those stupid, loud lightsabers!)
I've been reading this Howard Zinn book about the history of the U.S., and although I'm not quite bright enough to understand it, even I can see that history repeats itself until we get it right.
word.
I took a Greyhound from Kentucky to Jackson Hole once. That sucked some serious Ass.
And that was for skiing.
I damn sure am not riding a Bus to yell at rich people. Seems sort of Counterproductive.
Unless I have a sword. Or a lance.
cIII Quixote...has a Nice ring
Well said.
I left you bloggy love at the house.
O.K. I understand your point. I am not going to go ride a bus to some rich peoples' houses, but...and this is my BUT in life: Some of us (namely me) are actually profound believers in Socialism.
I hope that this crisis will give people like me the ability to say: I truly, madly, deeply believe in a 60% tax on the wealthy.
After studying economics in Sweden and living in Europe for the better part of a decade, I truly believe that we need to move in that direction.
Also, just a FYI those bonuses were 3 years of my public school teacher salary.
Also, Don Quixote fought windmills, but his heart was good. (dice la maestra de espanol)
This guy at Styles of the Times stole your idea, Ms. Picket:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/fashion/22anger.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=aig%20revenge&st=cse
I would say "Go tell it on the mountain" but you already did.
I think people are just trying to find someone to be mad at and in some ways, fair enough. It's misguided, but probably cathartic. I'm just going to get on with life and I'm pretty sure that things will get better.
Look at you paying the good karma forward.
I'm a non-denominational hater. I just hate stupid. But I hardly ever throw TP at it.
I wish I had the ability to focus on being positive. Sometimes my anger gets the best of me. I'd probably use eggs and tomatoes, not TP. tomato removes paint and eggs make a nice splat noise no matter where they fall.
On the other hand, I'd probably be a happier person if I redirected that energy toward the positive.
See, here I am reading Aimeepalooza's comment and thinking: Hmm... eggs and tomatoes. That makes a lot of sense.
Spread the Love Ms. P!
Good for you for doing your bit of good without hanging on to anger. Really, that's what it's all about. I applaud you. Peace, dear Ms. P.
I think the initial outrage over the bonuses was helpful in one of those Patty Chyefsky mad-as-hell-not-gonna-take-it-anymore ways. It was the last straw and people finally had something tangible they could get good and pissed off about. I can understand that anger - hell, I feel it, too. But in the greater scheme of things, those bonuses were a very tiny drop in a very big bucket and even if they were taken away (which would most likely be illegal because of ex post facto) it would do nothing to reduce the amount of money that AIG was given.
I have been following this financial crisis with every OCD fiber of my being, which may account for the utter wonkishness of the above paragraph.
I have already alerted my husband to the fact that we WILL be bidding on the dinasaur blanket and the Adirondak chair (sp?) at the Cash For Kids Auction on Sunday. He just needs to get over it! Its all about the kids and their future!
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